The Three Kings by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar follow a star from the East, seeking a newborn king, and Herod directs them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. They find the child in a stable with Mary and offer gold, frankincense and myrrh, signifying kingship, priesthood and burial. Knowing Herod's malice, they return home by another route.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Religious Poetry, Scriptural Retelling · 809 words
First lines
Three Kings came riding from far away, / Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar; / Three Wise Men out of the East were they, / And they travelled by night and they slept by day, / For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.
The star was so beautiful, large, and clear, / That all the other stars of the sky / Became a white mist in the atmosphere, / And by this they knew that the coming was near / Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed five-line stanzas recount the kings' journey, their audience with Herod, their offerings and their return home.
- Religious Poetry — The child is identified as Christ, and the gifts acknowledge his kingship, priesthood and eventual burial.
- Scriptural Retelling — The verse recounts the Wise Men's visit to the infant Christ, including the guiding star, Herod's request and their departure by another route.
Tags
Magi · Nativity · Bethlehem · guiding star · gold, frankincense and myrrh · Herod
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The Three Kings is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Narrative Poetry, Religious Poetry, Scriptural Retelling
- Length: 809 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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